Presettable counter for copying apparatus

ABSTRACT

A presettable counting device such as is usable in a copying apparatus includes a rotating element set to rotate through a certain angle for each cyclic operation of the device. A presettable counting wheel is spaced from the rotating elements and their axis are disposed in parallel relationship. Number panels in a numbered sequence are provided on the circumferential periphery of the counting wheel commencing from a zero position. A spring drive member biases the counting wheel toward the zero position. A toothed locking wheel is connected to the counting wheel and locking levers extend between the toothed locking wheel and a multiple cam on the rotating element for holding the counting wheel and effecting its stepwise return to the zero position. A signalling device can be incorporated into the counting device to indicate when the counting wheel has returned to the zero position.

Unite States Patent Limberger Feb. 8, 1972 [54] PRESETTABLE COUNTER FOR 211 App]. No.: 23,287

3,229,908 H1966 Niesen et al. ..235/l32 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 829,305 l/l952 Germany ..235/132 Primary Examiner-Richard B. Wilkinson Assistant Examiner-Stanley A. Wal Attorney-McGlew and Toren [57] ABSTRACT A presettable counting device such as is usable in a copying apparatus includes a rotating element set to rotate through a certain angle for each cyclic operation of the device. A presettable counting wheel is spaced from the rotating elements and their axis are disposed in parallel relationship. Number panels in a numbered sequence are provided on the circumferential periphery of the counting wheel commencing from a zero position. A spring drive member biases the counting wheel toward the zero position. A toothed locking wheel is connected to the counting wheel and locking levers extend between the toothed locking wheel and a multiple cam on the rotating element for holding the counting wheel and effecting its stepwise return to the zero position. A signalling device can be incorporated into the counting device to indicate when the counting wheel has returned to the zero position.

17 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDFEB 8 m2 SHEET 5 [IF 5 PRESETTABLE COUNTER FOR COPYING APPARATUS The invention will be described with particular reference to a counting mechanism for copying apparatus. The counting mechanism is, however, also suitable for other working processes, more particularly for sorting and packing equipment where a certain selectable number of objects is to be delivered or treated from a plurality of objects in ta fast operating sequence, and where this number may vary from case to case. correspondingly there is also the possibility of counting a certain number of operating processes of a machine tool.

The preferred embodiment, relating to copying apparatus, is based on the fact that occasionally several copies must be made from one original, and this number of copies may vary from one original to another. Although it is known to provide a comparatively complicated device which controls automatically the manufacture of several copies, particularly in apparatus in which the original may remain on the exposure plate, this solution is very expensive and requires a type of apparatus in which the original fulfills no switching function.

in copying apparatus in which the original is reintroduced or has to pass an exposure slot for the manufacture of each copy, an automatic arrangement of this type would be unjustifiable. Where larger numbers of copies are to be made from the same original, the operators attention is very stressed in view of the fast operating sequence and the necessity to count a certain number of copies each time.

It is the object of the invention to provide for these apparatus and for the corresponding applications for other processes or machines, such as packing or sorting machines, a counting device for working strokes operating as a function of an element rotating intermittently in accordance with the working strokes, wherein the counting mechanism is of simple construction, comprises few parts, is reliable and adjustable to any desired number without requiring for this purpose particular locking means or the like.

According to the invention, this object is realized in that the rotating element has a multiple cam, and preferably a twin cam arrangement with at least one raised cam on adjacent cam tracks, and collaborating with at least one raised cam on adjacent cam tracks, and collaborating with at least two alternatively disengageable locking levers which free a counting wheel with at least one associated locking wheel intermittently from its toothing, wherein the assembly of counting wheel and locking wheel is spring biased in the direction of resetting the counting wheel into a zero position and the free rotation of the counting wheel against the spring drive by means of the engaging locking levers is provided.

In this manner, the invention requires only one rotating element because the locking wheels and the counting wheel, having number panels on its circumference, may be made in one piece so that only a locking lever arrangement and a spring for driving the counting wheel must be additionally provided. In addition, this construction is very complex and particularly suitable for copying apparatus because the counting wheel may protrude with one part of its periphery through an opening in a housing wall, which is provided with a pointer, permitting a number panel to be selected, wherein the operating element is the protruding section of the periphery of the wheel which may be provided with a knurling.

Since the selection of a certain number may accidentally involve an excessive rotation of the counting wheel, resetting must be provided. This is achieved according to the invention in that the toothing of the at least one locking wheel is substantially sine shaped, and permits an adjustment under the locking levers in differentdirections, wherein the force of the locking levers is so dimensioned, by weight or spring, that they retain the counting wheel against the spring drive.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the toothing of the at least one locking wheel is sawtoothed shape and blocks the random rotation of the counting wheel with engaging locking lever in the direction of a resetting of the counting wheel by the spring drive. The advantage of this solution is that the spring forces may be much smaller and this is expedient both for the operation and the setting.

Also in this solution, the invention provides a resetting by means of a one way coupling between the said at least one locking wheel and the counting wheel, wherein the coupling remains in engagement under the bias of the spring drive, but permits the adjustment of the counting wheel between the two elements of the coupling in the direction of the spring drive. Preferably this one way coupling is a spring-loaded toothed coupling with saw-toothed-shape teeth in which the sloping flank permits the adjustment in-the direction of the spring drive, and wherein the coupling spring is strong enough to maintain the engagement under the force of the spring drive in a slip-free condition. Also this solution makes do with few and simple additional components.

Preferably the rotational path comprising one or two teeth of a locking wheel corresponds to one number panel of the counting wheel, the periphery of which carries several successive number panels. If only one locking wheel with a single toothing is used for two locking levers, each panel comprises two tooth divisions. In the preferred embodiment of the invention the raised cams for the different locking levers are offset relative to each other, for example in the case of two locking levers and two locking wheels by half the angle through which the rotating element rotates with each working stroke. In the case of several elements, the offset would amount to a corresponding fraction.

In the case of the use of several locking wheels, their toothing is offset within one tooth spacing, and the locking levers engage substantially in one plane. According to another embodiment in which the locking wheels have a simple construction, a single locking wheel is provided for two locking levers, having an axially continuous toothing, and the locking teeth are offset to each other by half a tooth spacing.

The construction with two locking levers is the particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, in which the movement of the counting wheel through one panel, occurs in two steps. With the arrangement of several locking levers and locking wheels, the number of steps for one number panel would correspond to the chosen number of elements. In spite of the additional expenditure, this construction may have special advantages where certain control steps are to be performed during one working stroke.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the locking levers have lateral crossmembers directed towards the counting wheel or a disk connected therewith and provided with cams for the crossmembers in a position such that after the passage of the digit 1 during the counting, they lift the locking levers out of engagement with the associated locking wheel or wheels; a stop is provided which stops the rotation of the counting wheel in the zero position. This arrangement relieves the drive for the locking levers and produces a trailing action of the spring drive acting on the control wheel which can be used effectively for certain purposes, such as switching or signalling purposes.

Preferably the abutment on the counting wheel cooperates with a stop which engages when the locking wheel reaches a zero position. This engagement may be direct or indirect. Stopping of the counting wheels indicates at least the completion of the required number of strokes by means of the pointer to a certain number panel. The stop may, however, also block the connected apparatus.

The signalling equipment mentioned in the following may be optical or acoustic and actuable as a function of the counting wheel running into the zero position. In one embodiment of the invention there is provided a preferably acoustic signalling device in the shape of a bell, mounted, for example, on a wall of the housing in which the clapper, spring loaded by a spring or by the weight distribution so as to return into the starting position, is a pivoting lever and extends either into the path of the stop or may be actuated by a cam of the rotating element in conjunction with a cam plate on the counting wheel.

Obviously, it is also possible to control a contact instead of the clapper.

Preferably the clapper has an elastic leg and the stop forms an abutment for a rigid leg of the clapper which engages the abutment after striking the bell and thereby stops the counting wheel.

In another embodiment which permits an easier control, the cam disk is provided in concentric arrangement to the counting wheel and has a step-shaped recess corresponding to the zero position of the counting wheel and adapted to receive a lug of the elastic clapper guided by spring force along the revolving element and along the cam disk, causing to strike the bell when running into the recess and being released by its cam.

Preferably, the locking levers are pivoting levers and are biased by springs pulling them into engagement.

Especially in a copying apparatus having behind a stack holder with a withdrawing roller, a switching roller which always rotates through 360 for transporting one sheet, the cam is provided with two raised cams in two parallel cam tracks, offset circumferentially through 180, and in which case two locking wheels and two locking levers are provided.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a side elevation of the counting device according to the invention, with one wall of an apparatus being sectionalized along the line [-1 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1 with some parts omitted;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of another embodiment of the invention, showing merely the parts necessary for explaining the same;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows diagrammatically an apparatus and explains the arrangement of the counting mechanism in a copier;

FIG. 6 shows diagrammatically the construction of an apparatus and explains the arrangement of the counting mechanism.

In all figures, only the elements needed for the understanding of an invention are shown.

Referring first to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a mounting arrangement 1 comprises, in integral construction, a counting wheel 2 and locking wheels 3 and 4. Although the locking wheels are shown to have different diameters, it is, of course, equally possible to use locking wheels with the same diameters.

The locking wheel 4 has a shaft extension 5 which is affected by a spring drive 6, the spring being, for example, wound by means of a band 7 about the shaft extension and being fixed at 8. As may be seen from FIG. 2, the counting wheel is not in the zero position and the spring 6 is therefore tensioned. The other end of the spring is fixed to a frame as at 8.

The actuating arrangement by means of the spring 6 has merely the object of rotating the counting wheel through the maximum counting distance, that is to say, once through 360.

As shown in FIG. 2, the circumference of the counting wheel is provided with number panels, 9, 10, 11. The dimensions of these number panels in the direction of the circumference is related to the spacing between the teeth of the locking wheels. One tooth spacing of the toothing 12, I3 corresponds to the length of a number panel in the direction of the circumference, for example the distance between the teeth 14 and 15.

The toothing l2, 13 is so toothed shaped so that the steep flank of a tooth is leading during the actuation by the spring 6. Two pivotable locking levers 17, 18 are mounted in a mounting 16 in a frame and have at their free ends pawls 19, 20 which engage into the toothing and may be formed in accordance with the recesses between the teeth. The locking levers are affected by springs 21, 22 which pull the locking levers against a double cam 23 arranged on the intermittently rotating element 24, for example a shaft, and rotating in this embodiment through 180 for each working stroke. The twin cam has two camtracks 25, 26 each with a raised portion 27, 28 which are offset relative to each other through 180.

The counting wheel protrudes with a portion 29 from an opening 30 of a housing wall 31. Adjacent to the opening 30 there is a marker, such an arrow 32, indicating one number panel. The number panels may be located between two knurled strips 33, 34 acting simultaneously as actuating elements for selecting the number of working strokes or for setting the number wheel 2. In addition, the number wheel has a stop 35, e.g., in the shape of a pin, and corresponding to the zero position. A collaborating abutment is provided in this embodiment in conjunction with a signaling device to be described further below.

To initiate the process, the counter wheel 2 is rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, until the desired number of strokes appears opposite the marker 32. During this adjustment the pawls 19, 20 slide over the toothing l2, [3. If the working process is initiated, the twin cam 23 is rotated through 360. During this, first the pawl 17 is released enabling it to engage in front of the tooth 36. Next the raised cam 28 lifts the pawl lever l8, so that the assembly of counting wheel 2 and locking wheels 3, 4 is rotated until the tooth 36 engages. During the further rotation the raised cam 28 releases the locking lever 18 which engages in front of the tooth 37. When the cam 27 raises the locking lever 17, the assembly of counting wheel 2 and locking wheels 3, 4 engages at the tooth 37, so that, in this example, the number panel 11 reaches the marker 32. This process is repeated until the stop 35 reaches its abutment and the pawls 19, 20 are released.

To this end, the counting wheel 2 has cams 38, 93 and the locking levers 17, 18 have crossmembers 89, extending laterally towards the counting wheel and into the path of the earns 38, 93. It should be noted that these earns 38, 93 are on a smaller radius than the stop 35.

The cams 38, 93 are so located that when the number panel 1 has passed the marker 32 the pawls 19, 20 are lifted out of engagement with the locking wheels, enabling the spring 6 to rotate the counting wheel until the stop 35 meets its abutment and the whole device is stopped.

In the embodiment shown, the abutment 91 is formed in conjunction with an acoustic signaling device which is triggered off when the number panel 0 is released at the marker 32. The signalling device is a bell 39 arranged on the housing wall 31, and having a clapper 40 in the shape of a two-armed angled lever. This lever is mounted at 41 and is acted upon by a spring 42 tending to pull the clapper into a starting position against a stop 92. Furthermore, the clapper has one elastic leg 43 which is held in front of the bell 39 in the inoperative position. The end of the other leg 40, remote from the leg 43 and made of a rigid material, projects into the path of the stop 35. When the stop 35 reaches the leg 40, which occurs when the pawls are released by means of the cams 38, 93, the movement of the counting wheel 2 under the action of the spring 6 pivots the angled lever, causing the clapper to hit the bell 39 and to sound it, thereupon one arm of the leg 40 reaches the abutment 91. This prevents further pivoting of the leg 40 and the latter retains, by means of the stop 35, the counting wheel 2 in the zero position.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, this embodiment comprises a unit consisting of a counting wheel 58, a locking wheel 59 and a one way coupling 60, mounted rotatably on a spindle 62, located, for example, in a housing 61. This unit is pushed axially by a spring 63 against an abutment 64 on the spindle 62. The counting wheel 58 is also provided with a cam plate 64, serving to actuate a clapper 65 for a bell 66.

Furthermore, similar to FIG. 1, a spring drive 67 is provided in connection .with a disk 68 and tends to return thecounting wheel into the zero position.

The coupling halves 69, 70 of the coupling 60 engage by means of saw-toothed-shape coupling teeth, the shape of which is such that when the locking wheel 59 is standing still, the counting wheel can be rotated in the direction of the spring drive 67 so as to return an excessive adjustment. When the coupling is operated the spring 63 yields.

As in the embodiment of FIG. 1, this construction comprises a cam 71 with two raised cams 72, 73 arranged on parallel tracks and cooperating with two locking levers 74, 75 which are pivotable in a mounting 76 and are pulled by springs 77, 78 (not shown in FIG. 4), into engagement with the locking wheel 59 or the raised earns 72, 73. The locking pawls 79, 80 of the locking levers are offset relative to each other by half a tooth spacing, so that they engage successively and during one revolution of the cam or of the shaft 71 the counting wheel 58 is advanced by one tooth spacing.

As may be seen particularly from FIG. 3, the clapper 65, pivotable about a pivot 81, is associated with a raised cam 82 on the shaft which pivots it against the force of a spring 83 during the passage of each number panel. In front of and behind the cam 82, the spring 83 pulls a lug 84 arranged on the clapper 65, against the cam plate 64. During this the resilient clapper may be deflected.

The cam plate has a recess 85 with a radially stepped flank 86 and a shallow rise 87.

When the counting wheel 58, with the number panels, is adjusted in a clockwise direction, causing the spring drive 67 to be tensioned, the connected apparatus is in the starting position in which the raised cam 82 holds the clapper outside the cam plate 4, permitting the stepped flank 86 to bypass the lug 84. During operation and during the rotation of the raised cam 82, the lug comes to rest on the periphery of the cam plate 64, so that the clapper 88 does not reach the bell. When the number panel is reached, the step flank 86 has passed the lug and the clapper, released by the cam 82, engages into the recess and strikes the bell.

The lug 84 may also be used as end stop if the recess 85 is suitably shaped.

For explaining the arrangement in a copying apparatus, it should be mentioned that the shaft 24 in FIGS. 1 and 2, or 71 in FIGS. 3 and 4, corresponds to the so-called switching roller 44 in front of a stack 45 of sheets of copying paper. The switching roller 44 has a flattened portion 46 so that, in the position shown, in which it is locked by a pivoting lever 47, it forms a gap with a continuously revolving transport roller 48.

When an actuating magnet 49, for the pivoting lever 47, is energized by a switch 50 by means of an original 51 in the exposure section, the switching roller 44 is unlocked and is accelerated by a spring 52 in the direction of the arrow shown, moving it into engagement with the roller 48. After a single revolution, the pivoting lever 47 engages again into the step 53, thereby ensuring a rotation through 180.

It should be mentioned that the withdrawing roller 54 carries a sheet of copying paper between the roller 44, 48 to a switching arm 55 actuation of which causes the circuit for an operating magnet 56, for driving the withdrawing roller 44, to be broken, and the circuit for the actuating magnet 49 to be prepared.

Energization of this magnet causes that the switching roller 44 in conjunction with the roller 48 carries the paper in the gap to the treatment sections 57, and to the transporting devices 58 of the copying apparatus.

This explanation illustrates the description of the preferred application of the invention in a copying apparatus comprising an element rotating only through 360 per working stroke.

The arrangement of the parts in a copying apparatus is shown in FIG. 6, in which identical parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

A housing 95 has on its upper surface a glass plate 96, forming part of an exposure device, over which a sheet of copying paper may be pushed in the direction indicated by the arrow 51. The glass plate is flanked by driven pairs of transport rollers 97, 98 of which one is shown in FIG. 5. Behind the stack holder 45 there is the roller arrangement 44, 48, the treatment section 57 and in the downstream path 99, the transport device 58 at the exposure platform. The transport path 99 continues through further treatment sections 101, 102 to a delivery dish 103.

The part 29 of the counting wheel 2 projects from the upper surface 31 of the housing. The shaft is located in mounting walls. The locking levers 17, 18, shown by dotted lines, and mounted at 16 collaborate with the locking wheels 12, 13. They bypass the spindle of the switching roller 24, 44 which contains at this point the cam tracks 25, 26.

It may be seen that the counting wheel 2 may be set at a certain number and a signal is given either acoustically or visually to indicate that the required number of copies has been made.

The mountings, such as 16, 41, 76, 81 described in FIGS. 1 to 4, and the mountings of the shafts 5, 62, and the like are provided in the walls of the housing of the apparatus and possibly in partitions extending parallel to the plane of the drawing to the housing walls in FIG. 6.

I claim:

1. A presettable counting device comprising a rotating element rotating through a certain angle for each cyclic operation of said device, a presettable counting wheel mounted rotatably and axially parallel spaced apart from the rotating element, and having number panels on its circumference, at least one locking wheel having a toothing on the periphery thereof and connected nonrotatably with the counting wheel, a multiple cam with cam tracks in side-by-side arrangement, and each having at least one raised cam wherein the multiple cam is arranged on said rotating element for rotation therewith, at least two locking levers mounted pivotally and axially parallel to the rotating element, a first part of each of said locking levers cooperating with one of said raised cams on one of said cam tracks, a second part of each of said locking levers being provided with locking parts which successively engage said toothing upon rotation of said rotating element, spring drive means biasing said counting wheel and said locking wheel from a preset into a zero position, and indicat ing means adjacent to the periphery of the counting wheel for indicating the count at a given time.

2. A device, as set forth in claim 1, in which the toothing of the at least one locking wheel is substantially sine shaped, the locking parts are formed corresponding to the recesses of the sine-shaped toothing, and the locking wheel is adjustable under the locking levers in different directions, and springs bias the force of the locking levers so that they hold the counting wheel against the spring drive means.

3. A device, as set forth in claim 1, in which the toothing of the at least one locking wheel is saw-toothshaped and the locking parts have a corresponding configuration, and the steeper flank of the saw-toothed-shaped toothing is arranged relative to the action of the spring drive means, so that the arbitrary rotation of the counting wheel is blocked for resetting of the counting wheel by said spring drive means when said locking parts of said locking levers are arranged in engagement with the toothing.

4. A device, as set forth in claim 3, comprising a one-way coupling incorporated in a unit including said at least one locking wheel and said counting wheel and arranged between said locking wheel and counting wheel, and said coupling having coupling halves engaged in such a manner that the engagement of said coupling is maintained under the load of said spring drive means, while permitting the adjustment of the counting wheel against the locking wheel by rotation between the coupling halves in the direction of action of the spring drive means.

5. A device, as set forth in claim 4, wherein the one-way coupling is spring loaded with each of said coupling halves having saw-toothed-shaped teeth which interengage the sawtoothed-shaped teeth of the other coupling half, and the sawtooth-shaped teeth having sloping flanks which permit an adjustment between the coupling halves by rotating the counting wheel in the direction of action of the spring drive means, and

a coupling spring arranged for urging said saw-tooth-shaped teeth of said coupling halves into interengagement and said coupling spring being strong enough to maintain the engagement under the action of said spring drive means in a slip-free condition.

6. A device, as set forth in claim 3, wherein not more than two tooth divisions of the toothing on said locking wheel correspond to an angle of rotation which is equal to the angle of rotation occupied by one said number panel on the circumferential periphery of said counting wheel, and the circumferential periphery of said counting wheel contains a plurality of said number panels arranged in sequence.

7. A device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said raised cams is arranged for raising a different one of said locking levers and said locking levers are offset by half the angle through which the rotating element rotates for each cyclic operation.

8. A device, as set forth in claim 6, comprising two said locking wheels with the toothing of each being mutually offset in the zone of one tooth division, and the locking parts of said locking levers arranged to engage substantially in one plane.

9. A device, as set forth in claim 6, comprising one said locking wheel and two said locking levers, said locking wheel having an axially continuous toothing, and the locking parts of said locking levers being offset relative to each other by an amount corresponding to half a tooth division.

10. A device, as set forth in claim 7, wherein said number panels on said counting wheel are arranged in a numbered sequence commencing from the zero position with the number 1, a crossmember secured to and extending laterally from each of said locking levers and said crossmernbers being directed toward the counting wheel, a pair of cams secured to the counting wheel and each said cam arranged to extend into the path of a different one of said lateral members at a point such that said cams abut against said lateral members after the number panel corresponding to the number 1 has passed said indicator means during the counting of a process and the locking levers being disengaged from the associated said locking wheel, a stop on said counting wheel, and an abutment arranged to be contacted by said stop when the number panel bearing number 1 passes said indicating means and stops the rotation of said counting wheel in the zero position.

11. A device, as set forth in claim 10, wherein a signalling device is associated with said stop and abutment and is released when said stop reaches the position corresponding to the position in which the number panel bearing the number 1 passes said indicating means, and said counting wheel reaches its zero position.

12. A device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein a signalling device is associated with the number panels on the circumference of said counting wheel, and an actuating means is positioned between the counting wheel and said signalling device and is arranged to actuate said signalling device when the counting wheel reaches its zero position.

13. A device, as set forth in claim 12, characterized therein by a housing wall, said signalling device comprises a bell mounted on said housing wall and providing an acoustic-type signalling device, a stop secured to said counting wheel, an abutment, and a pivoting lever extending into the path of said stop and forming a movable clapper arranged to strike said bell.

14. A device, as set forth in claim 12, characterized therein by a housing wall, said signalling device comprising a bell mounted on said housing wall and providing an acoustic-type signalling device, a pivoting lever having a lug thereon forming a movable clapper arranged to contact the bell, an additional cam track positioned on said rotating element and having a raised cam arranged to engage said pivoting lever, and a cam disc secured to said counting wheel so that the periphery of said cam disc makes contact with said lug on said pivoting lever and said cam disc having a recess arranged so that, when said counting wheel reaches the zero position, said lug on said pivoting lever engages into the recess and said pivoting lever strikes said bell under the action of said raised cam on the additional cam track.

15. A device, as set forth in claim 13, wherein said pivoting lever comprises an elastic leg having a striking element thereon and a rigid leg, said abutment being fixed and arranged to be contacted by said rigid leg and said elastic leg and striking element arran ed to strike said bell so that when said stop contacts said rigit? leg of said pivoting lever, said rigid leg is pivoted into contact with said abutment and said elastic leg strikes said bell and the engagement of said stop and said rigid leg effects the stopping of the counting wheel.

16. A device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein spring means are connected to each of said locking levers, said spring means moving said locking lever so that said locking part resiliently engages within the toothing of said locking wheel.

17. A device, as set forth in claim 1-, wherein said rotating element comprises a switching roller for use in a copying apparatus equipped with a stack holder with copying sheets, a withdrawing holder arranged on the top most sheet of the stack to withdraw the sheet, and transport means, and said rotating element being associated with the transport means behind the stack holder and carrying out a rotation through 360 for the transport of a sheet of copying paper from the stack holder, and said multiple cam arranged for rotation in conjunction with said switching roller and having two raised cams offset through 180 and arranged on said cam tracks which are in parallel relationship. 

1. A presettable counting device comprising a rotating element rotating through a certain angle for each cyclic operation of said device, a presettable counting wheel mounted rotatably and axially parallel spaced apart from the rotating element, and having number panels on its circumference, at least one locking wheel having a toothing on the periphery thereof and connected nonrotatably with the counting wheel, a multiple cam with cam tracks in side-by-side arrangement, and each having at least one raised cam wherein the multiple cam is arranged on said rotating element for rotation therewith, at least two locking levers mounted pivotally and axially parallel to the rotating element, a first part of each of said locking levers cooperating with one of said raised cams on one of said caM tracks, a second part of each of said locking levers being provided with locking parts which successively engage said toothing upon rotation of said rotating element, spring drive means biasing said counting wheel and said locking wheel from a preset into a zero position, and indicating means adjacent to the periphery of the counting wheel for indicating the count at a given time.
 2. A device, as set forth in claim 1, in which the toothing of the at least one locking wheel is substantially sine shaped, the locking parts are formed corresponding to the recesses of the sine-shaped toothing, and the locking wheel is adjustable under the locking levers in different directions, and springs bias the force of the locking levers so that they hold the counting wheel against the spring drive means.
 3. A device, as set forth in claim 1, in which the toothing of the at least one locking wheel is saw-toothed shaped and the locking parts have a corresponding configuration, and the steeper flank of the saw-toothed-shaped toothing is arranged relative to the action of the spring drive means, so that the arbitrary rotation of the counting wheel is blocked for resetting of the counting wheel by said spring drive means when said locking parts of said locking levers are arranged in engagement with the toothing.
 4. A device, as set forth in claim 3, comprising a one-way coupling incorporated in a unit including said at least one locking wheel and said counting wheel and arranged between said locking wheel and counting wheel, and said coupling having coupling halves engaged in such a manner that the engagement of said coupling is maintained under the load of said spring drive means, while permitting the adjustment of the counting wheel against the locking wheel by rotation between the coupling halves in the direction of action of the spring drive means.
 5. A device, as set forth in claim 4, wherein the one-way coupling is spring loaded with each of said coupling halves having saw-toothed-shaped teeth which interengage the saw-toothed-shaped teeth of the other coupling half, and the saw-toothed-shaped teeth having sloping flanks which permit an adjustment between the coupling halves by rotating the counting wheel in the direction of action of the spring drive means, and a coupling spring arranged for urging said saw-toothed-shaped teeth of said coupling halves into interengagement and said coupling spring being strong enough to maintain the engagement under the action of said spring drive means in a slip-free condition.
 6. A device, as set forth in claim 3, wherein not more than two tooth divisions of the toothing on said locking wheel correspond to an angle of rotation which is equal to the angle of rotation occupied by one said number panel on the circumferential periphery of said counting wheel, and the circumferential periphery of said counting wheel contains a plurality of said number panels arranged in sequence.
 7. A device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said raised cams is arranged for raising a different one of said locking levers and said locking levers are offset by half the angle through which the rotating element rotates for each cyclic operation.
 8. A device, as set forth in claim 6, comprising two said locking wheels with the toothing of each being mutually offset in the zone of one tooth division, and the locking parts of said locking levers arranged to engage substantially in one plane.
 9. A device, as set forth in claim 6, comprising one said locking wheel and two said locking levers, said locking wheel having an axially continuous toothing, and the locking parts of said locking levers being offset relative to each other by an amount corresponding to half a tooth division.
 10. A device, as set forth in claim 7, wherein said number panels on said counting wheel are arranged in a numbered sequence commencing from the zero position with the number 1, a crossmember secured to and extending laterally from each of said locking levers and saiD crossmembers being directed toward the counting wheel, a pair of cams secured to the counting wheel and each said cam arranged to extend into the path of a different one of said lateral members at a point such that said cams abut against said lateral members after the number panel corresponding to the number 1 has passed said indicator means during the counting of a process and the locking levers being disengaged from the associated said locking wheel, a stop on said counting wheel, and an abutment arranged to be contacted by said stop when the number panel bearing number 1 passes said indicating means and stops the rotation of said counting wheel in the zero position.
 11. A device, as set forth in claim 10, wherein a signalling device is associated with said stop and abutment and is released when said stop reaches the position corresponding to the position in which the number panel bearing the number 1 passes said indicating means, and said counting wheel reaches its zero position.
 12. A device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein a signalling device is associated with the number panels on the circumference of said counting wheel, and an actuating means is positioned between the counting wheel and said signalling device and is arranged to actuate said signalling device when the counting wheel reaches its zero position.
 13. A device, as set forth in claim 12, characterized therein by a housing wall, said signalling device comprises a bell mounted on said housing wall and providing an acoustic-type signalling device, a stop secured to said counting wheel, an abutment, and a pivoting lever extending into the path of said stop and forming a movable clapper arranged to strike said bell.
 14. A device, as set forth in claim 12, characterized therein by a housing wall, said signalling device comprising a bell mounted on said housing wall and providing an acoustic-type signalling device, a pivoting lever having a lug thereon forming a movable clapper arranged to contact the bell, an additional cam track positioned on said rotating element and having a raised cam arranged to engage said pivoting lever, and a cam disc secured to said counting wheel so that the periphery of said cam disc makes contact with said lug on said pivoting lever and said cam disc having a recess arranged so that, when said counting wheel reaches the zero position, said lug on said pivoting lever engages into the recess and said pivoting lever strikes said bell under the action of said raised cam on the additional cam track.
 15. A device, as set forth in claim 13, wherein said pivoting lever comprises an elastic leg having a striking element thereon and a rigid leg, said abutment being fixed and arranged to be contacted by said rigid leg and said elastic leg and striking element arranged to strike said bell so that when said stop contacts said rigid leg of said pivoting lever, said rigid leg is pivoted into contact with said abutment and said elastic leg strikes said bell and the engagement of said stop and said rigid leg effects the stopping of the counting wheel.
 16. A device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein spring means are connected to each of said locking levers, said spring means moving said locking lever so that said locking part resiliently engages within the toothing of said locking wheel.
 17. A device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said rotating element comprises a switching roller for use in a copying apparatus equipped with a stack holder with copying sheets, a withdrawing holder arranged on the top most sheet of the stack to withdraw the sheet, and transport means, and said rotating element being associated with the transport means behind the stack holder and carrying out a rotation through 360* for the transport of a sheet of copying paper from the stack holder, and said multiple cam arranged for rotation in conjunction with said switching roller and having two raised cams offset through 180* and arranged on said cam tracks which are in paraLlel relationship. 